


Lucky Caller Twelve

by afewmistakesago



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, One Shot, celebrity belle, dad mr. gold, rumbelle fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:30:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8870518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewmistakesago/pseuds/afewmistakesago
Summary: Prompt: Character A’s child wants to meet their favorite celebrity for Christmas. Character B is said “Christmas present”.





	

Rowan Gold had never won a thing in his life. That’s why it was so exciting that he was driving his son, Bailey, to the set of Belle’s Big Library for a set tour and lunch with Belle herself. He’d called into the radio station a week earlier and was shockingly the twelfth caller, winning the grand Christmas prize. They’d flown to Vancouver a few days previously, which was where the show filmed, but Bailey just thought they were there for vacation.

For the past year, he’d watched Belle’s Big Library with Bailey after school every day. On the show, Belle French, a perky twenty-something with a spunky wardrobe and lots of energy, portrayed a magical librarian. She would pick a different book from one of her many shelves, open it, and be transported to a different land, meeting different literary or historic characters. It was all the work of CGI and green screen, but Bailey loved it. Rowan could hardly believe that he’d won the contest to meet her, his son the obvious choice for the “plus one” allowed by the contest’s guidelines.

“Where are we going, papa?” he said from the backseat, a slight whine in his voice. “I’m hungry.”

“We’ll eat lunch when we get there, Bailey,” he replied. “Promise.”

“This doesn’t look like a restaurant,” he heard his son mumble as he pulled up to a security guard, presenting the paperwork that said he was the winner of Storybrooke FM’s Christmas with Belle Contest. They were waved through, and a man who introduced himself as David Nolan, an assistant on the show, met them outside the car.

“Papa,” Bailey whispered, “Where are we?”

“You’ll see,” he said, ruffling his hair. “This is your Christmas present.”

“My Christmas present?” he asked quietly. Rowan didn’t reply, because he’d realize where they were soon enough. For some silly reason, he felt his heart pounding as David led them into the studio. He saw Belle waiting by a craft services table. She was playing on her phone, not paying attention to them. “Belle,” David called, and she looked up, smiling at them. She was just as beautiful in person as she was on screen, he noticed, then looked down at his son, whose face had dropped in amazement.

Belle had headed there way, a grin on her face. “Hi,” she said brightly, extending a hand to Rowan. “I’m Belle.”

“I know,” he said stupidly as he shook her hand. “I mean, I’m Rowan Gold, and this is my son, Bailey. This was a surprise for him.”

“A surprise!” Belle said, bending down so she was eye-level to Bailey. “I love surprises,” she said, shaking his hand seriously. “It’s nice to meet you, Bailey.”

Rowan was watching his son carefully. He’d never seen Bailey speechless before.

“We watch your show every day!” his son finally blurted, and Belle’s smile only widened.

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Belle said, and Rowan could tell she was genuine. “What if we go get lunch, and then I can take you to the library?”

“The real library?”

“Yes! And I can show you some of our other sets, like Agrabah and Under the Sea.”

“That would be so cool!” Bailey said, turning to look at his dad. “This is the best Christmas ever!”

It turned out Belle’s Big Library had fantastic catering. Belle listened as Bailey told her all of his favorite episodes and side characters, with Rowan chiming in every now and again. He could tell that Belle seemed to be looking at him more than she was looking at Bailey, but he didn’t think much of it.

After a delicious lunch, Belle led the two of them through the studio, showing them different sets and explaining how the green screen worked. It was fun to see the things from television in person, but it was more satisfying to just watch his son’s expressions of wonder and amazement as Belle gave them the tour. It was also worth noting that the camera hardly did Belle’s blue eyes justice. Rowan didn’t want to come off as creepy or overbearing, so he mostly stayed a step behind and let Bailey enjoy the tour that was catered to him, anyways.

At the end of the tour, they met up with one of the cameraman and CGI specialists. They were talking to Bailey and setting him up on the green screen to be transported to Camelot from Bailey’s favorite episode. “So,” Belle said, turning to Rowan. “Where’s home, Mr. Gold?”

“Storybrooke, Maine,” he answered.

“Oh, my dad lives right near there!” she said. “I’ve driven through Storybooke loads of times.”

“Really? You’ll have to give us a holler if you’re in town,” Rowan said, then felt immediately like an idiot. When the hell did he start using the expression “give us a holler?”.

Belle didn’t seem to notice, however. “Did your wife sit this trip out?”

“I’m not married. Divorced, ever since he was a baby,” he said, motioning to Bailey, still happily chattering away with the crew.

“Gotcha,” Belle said. “Normally, all the cute dads I meet are taken.”

She said it so easily, he almost thought he heard it wrong. He felt his eyes widened, sure he was blushing. Was she trying to trick him? Before he could sputter out a response, she winked at him, passing him a card. He looked down at it - Belle French had just given him her phone number.

“You seem like an interesting guy, Mr. Gold,” she said. “You could call me later.”

“I - could,” he said stupidly. "I mean, I will," he clarified. 

Bailey joined them again, hugging Belle’s legs. “This has been the bestest day ever,” he said. Belle bent down to hug him fully.

“It has been a very interesting day, Bailey. I’m glad I got to meet you and your dad,” she said, smiling up at Rowan. He smiled back. He had never intended to fall for someone so quickly, but she seemed intent to make him leave half his heart in Canada.

-

When Belle’s Big Library’s new season started a few months later, it was a bit strange to watch it and then Skype Belle herself to discuss it.


End file.
